Fado and Sevdahlinka

Fado is a style of Portuguese folk music that shares a great deal in common with a traditional form of Bosnian music, Sevdahlinka.

Both styles of music typically have a single singer, usually male but often female. Both styles of music involve powerful, painful, mournful lyrics. Both styles of music involve simple, elegant music in which the tempo of the song is set by the vocals, not the other way around. Both styles of music involve pride, defiance, and stubbornness. Both styles of music typically speak of ill-fated love.

Sevdahlinka is the older of the two, and was first introduced in Bosnia during the Ottoman Empire's reign over this part of the world. However, most historians believe it was actually Sephardic Jews from Portugal who brought this style of music to Bosnia, having arrived in the late 1500s - the exact time sevdahlinka appeared in Bosnia. This hypothesis would also explain when Fado disappeared from Portugal at the same time, only to be revived in the 1900s.

One of the most famous sevdahlinka songs in Bosnia is "Kad ja podjoh na Bembasu" (When I go down to Bembasa). It is a Jewish folk song about the beauty of Sarajevo and its women - and it is the official song of Sarajevo. The fact that this first and most famous sevdahlinka song is clearly a Jewish song, written by Jews and passed down through the generations by Jews, is further evidence that both Fado and Sevdahlinka are traditional forms of music belonging to Sephardic Jews.

These days, though, it's quite different. Sevdahlinka is immediately associated with Bosnian Muslims, Bosniaks, and is officially the music of that nation. Fado is associated mainly with Portugal's urban poor.

Take a listen to one example of each style of music and share your opinion about whether or not they have a common origin.

A modern Portuguese Fado by Mariza:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XQrq7nLPHEw&search=mariza%20gente

A modern Bosnian Sevdahlinka by Hanka Paldum:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HWdF23affko&search=sevdah

Edited by Mila - 12-Jul-2006 at 20:06

I made a Fado thread yesterday, but I had never heard about Sevdalinka before, so this is a good opportunity to check it out.